The Absalon warship halted a pirate ship on Wednesday, freed the captives and captured the kidnappers without firing a shot, said Mikael Bill, spokesman for the Danish navy.

The released hostages from Iran and Pakistan, who had been held for about a month, were allowed to reboard their fishing vessel and head for their original destination, Bill said.

The suspected pirates remained in custody, and officials were determining whether they would be prosecuted and, if so, where.

Recently the European Union's anti-piracy military force announced it will become more proactive in the fight against pirates, expanding its mission to include Somalia's coast and waterways inside the east African country for the first time.

Somali pirates still command $5 million for successfully hijacked ships, but the days when they roamed the sea without challenge are over.

Multiple navies — including a large U.S. presence — patrol the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean, and many private ships now carry armed guards.

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